Gardens in Spanish Culture
8 MAY – 25 MAY 2017 Code: 21707
Tour Leaders Professor Tim Entwisle, Anneli Bojstad
Physical Ratings
Horticulturalist Tim Entwisle and Anneli Bojstad, author of 'Great Gardens of Spain', share a feast of splendid gardens & great monuments from Seville to Old Castile, north of Madrid.
Overview Tour Highlights
Travel with Professor Tim Entwisle, Director and Chief Executive of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and Anneli Bojstad, author of Great Gardens of Spain. Meet Spanish garden designer Eduardo Mencos, author of Hidden Gardens of Spain. Eduardo and his wife Anneli will show us their family country farm 'La Lancha', a landscaped working farm near Jarandilla de la Vera. Study the work of award-winning landscape architect Fernando Caruncho at the private gardens of the Rosales, and the ‘Terraza de los Laureles’ at Madrid's Royal Botanical Gardens. Visit a selection of private gardens hosted by their owners including: La Zarcilla, a rose garden in Madrid; Carlos Mayans' garden, created by his late mother in Trujillo; the palace gardens of Marquès de Salvatierra in Ronda; the gardens of Marquesa of Casa Valdés, author of the acclaimed book Spanish Gardens; the garden of San Segundo in Ávila, owned by Juan Martínez de las Rivas; and Jardín de El Romeral de San Marcos, owned by Julia Casaravila Silva, widow of pioneering landscape designer Leandro Silva. Meet Álvaro de la Rosa, an award-winning sculptor and landscape designer who will show us examples of his inspirational work. Visit Córdoba's delightful, hidden, Islamic-style courtyard gardens during the Festival de los Patios. Tour the historic La Concepción garden in Málaga. With a naturalist visit Monfragüe National Park, an outstanding site for the Eurasian Black and Griffon vultures, as well as the Spanish Imperial, Golden and Bonelli eagles. Visit a number of the country’s greatest monuments: Granada’s Alhambra, Córdoba’s Great Mosque, Seville’s Alcázar and Cathedral, Trujillo's castle and grand church of St Martín and Segovia's Roman aqueduct View the work of 17th-century masters like Velázquez and Goya, as well as German and Italian masterpieces, in the Museo del Prado. Stay at several heritage hotels including the paradors of Ronda, Jarandilla de la Vera, and the Hotel San Juan de los Reyes. Dine at paradors and local restaurants to feast on regional specialities; and conclude with a memorable evening dinner at the private home of art collector Sofía Barosso in Madrid.
18 days in Spain
Overnight Seville (3 nights) • Córdoba (2 nights) • Ronda (1 night) • Granada (3 nights) • Toledo (2 nights) • Jarandilla de la Vera (2 nights) • Segovia (1 night) • Madrid (3 nights).
Overview
Together we explore Spain’s distinctive gardening tradition shaped both by the country’s great climatic diversity and its powerful Islamic heritage. This tour places special emphasis upon privileged private garden visits and meetings with Spain's top landscape architects and garden owners. We visit splendid gardens and great monuments from Spain's Mediterranean coast to Old Castile, north of Madrid. Sculptor and landscape designer Álvaro de la Rosa will show us some of his new and exciting projects in Madrid. Eduardo Mencos, author of Hidden Gardens of Spain, will welcome us at his family farm in Extremadura. We also visit private gardens hosted by their owners, including Jardín Rosales, designed by award-winning landscape architect Fernando Caruncho; and La Zarcilla in Madrid, San Segundo in Ávila, Galiana Castle in Toledo, Palacio del Marqués de Salvatierra in Ronda, the late Olga Mayans’ garden built around the ruins of Trujillo’s medieval castle, and the garden created by Eduardo’s grandmother, the Marquesa of Casa Valdés,
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author of the acclaimed book Spanish Gardens. In Madrid we view Patrick Blanc's vertical garden at the CaixaForum and spend a memorable evening at the private home of art collector Sofía Barosso. With a local naturalist we visit the Monfragüe National Park, a UNESCO listed Biosphere Reserve, to study the many species of Mediterranean plants and trees and observe the birds along the course of the Tagus River. This tour coincides with the Córdoba Patio Festival when many delightful Islamic courtyard gardens are opened to public view. We also discover Toledo’s cigarrales (country houses). Encounters with these intimate spaces are juxtaposed with visits to grand urban palaces, including Seville’s Casa de Pilatos. We also explore a number of Spain’s greatest monuments: Granada’s Alhambra, Córdoba’s Great Mosque and Seville’s Alcázar. In the Prado we view masterpieces by El Greco, Velázquez and Goya. A highlight is our stay at heritage hotels.
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Leaders Professor Tim Entwisle
Director and Chief Executive of Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria since March 2013, following 2 years in a senior role at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, and 8 years as Executive Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust in Sydney.
Director and Chief Executive, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
Professor Tim Entwisle is a highly respected scientist, scientific communicator and botanic gardens director. He took up the role of Director and Chief Executive of Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria in March 2013, following two years in a senior role at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, and eight years as Executive Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust in Sydney. Tim is an Honorary Professorial Fellow in the School of Botany at The University of Melbourne and has been a Visiting Professor in the School of Biological and Biomedical Science, Durham University. He is an expert in freshwater algae (a genus, family and order of algae were named after him in 2014) but has a broad interest in all plants and related life forms – for example, he edited and wrote for the 4-volume Flora of Victoria. In 2014 Tim published Sprinter and Sprummer: Australia’s Changing Seasons, challenging the use of the traditional four seasons in Australia.
Tim blogs (TalkingPlants), tweets, and looks for any opportunity to promote science, plants and gardens. He is a frequent guest on Australian radio and television, and writes opinion pieces for the major newspapers. Over the summers of 2014-15 and 2015-16 Tim hosted ABC Radio National’s first gardening show, Talking Plants, and he contributes regularly to RN’s Blueprint for Living. He writes for a variety of science, nature and garden magazines and maintains an active social media profile. In 2017 Tim joins ASA as tour lecturer for 'Gardens in Spanish Culture'.
Tim also has an interest in indie music, literature, kayaking and anything to do with Dr Samuel Johnson.
Learn more about bushland biodiversity in Tim's video - Biodiversity and the Seasons (YouTube - 3:02)
Hear Tim talk about managing heritage trees in Sydney - Trees - Natural and Cultural Values (Youtube - 31:13)
Tim explains why we need plants to live and to enjoy life - Curing Plant Blindness and Illiteracy (Youtube - 60:00)
Anneli Bojstad
Anneli has hosted ASA groups for 10 years with husband, landscape
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architect Eduardo Mencos. Author of 'Great Gardens of Spain', she has curated exhibitions including ‘Jardines del Alma’ in the Real Jardín Botánico
Swedish-born Anneli Bojstad has lived and worked in Spain for the past 27 years, developing and managing cultural projects in various fields, curating art exhibitions, publishing books on gardens, architecture and Spanish landscapes, and designing and running specialist study tours. Anneli is the author of Great Gardens of Spain (2011), Jardines Mágicos de España (2011) and La Gran Aventura de los Indianos (2008) and has contributed articles to major national and international publications such as Architectural Digest, Vogue, Elle Deco, Telva, Casa & Campo and many more. She has curated exhibitions for major venues such as the Jardines del Alma exhibition in the Real Jardín Botánico (Royal Botanical Gardens, Madrid) for which she also coordinated and wrote the bilingual catalogue. Along with her publishing and exhibition design Anneli has an intimate knowledge of landscape architecture practice in Spain, having designed terrace gardens for and administered the landscape architecture practice, Estudio Eduardo Mencos (www.eduardomencos.com). Anneli gained her BA in Art History at Stockholm University and her MA in Hispanic Studies from Complutense University, Madrid and speaks and writes in Swedish, Spanish, French and English. She has assisted ASA in planning and hosting sections of our garden tours in Spain for ten years.
Combine this tour with
Art and Landscapes of Southern France: The Côte D’Azur, Provence & the Cévennes 30 MAY – 14 JUN 2017
Natural Landscapes & Gardens of the Channel Islands: Jersey, Guernsey, Herm, Burhou & Sark 26 MAY – 8 JUN 2017
Ancient Algeria, the M’Zab & Saoura Valleys 14 APR – 4 MAY 2017
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Itinerary The following itinerary describes a range of museums, patios, carmenes, cigarrales and gardens which we plan to visit. Many are accessible to the public, but others require special permission which may only be confirmed closer to the tour's departure in 2017. The daily activities described in this itinerary may change or be rotated and/or modified in order to accommodate alterations in opening hours, flight schedules and confirmation of private visits. Participants will receive a final itinerary together with their tour documents prior to departure. The tour includes breakfast daily, lunches & evening meals indicated in the detailed itinerary where: B=breakfast, L=lunch and D=evening meals.
Seville - 3 nights Day 1: Monday 8 May, Arrive Seville Arrival transfer for participants arriving on the ASA ‘designated’ flight
On arrival at Seville’s airport, participants taking the ASA ‘designated’ flight will transfer by private coach to our hotel, ideally located just 250 metres from Seville Cathedral. If you are travelling independently please meet the group at the Inglaterra Hotel.
Seville gained great importance and prosperity in the 12th century when the Almohad dynasty of North African Berbers made it the capital of Muslim Spain (al Andalus); and again in the 16th century, when it became the Spanish entrepôt for silver and tobacco from the Americas. Its major monuments and most important works of art date from these periods and from the 13th and 14th centuries, when Ferdinand III of Castile wrested the province from the Muslims in 1248. Seville therefore boasts fine Muslim, Gothic, Mudéjar and Baroque monuments (‘Mudéjar’ is the term which denotes buildings built for Christians by Muslim craftsmen). In the 17th century it vied with Madrid as the centre of Spanish sculpture and painting. Zurbarán, Velázquez and Murillo all worked in Seville and the city produced a fine school of polychrome wood sculpture, examples of which are still used in processions for Holy Week (Semana Santa). In the 19th century, Seville became a picturesque setting for Northern European Romantic novels, artworks and
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operas, because of the popularity of Murillo’s paintings of street urchins, Seville’s famous bullfights, and the magnificence of its celebrations during Holy Week. Just after Semana Santa, the city celebrates the colourful Feria de Abril, a popular festival begun in the 19th century, in which wealthy landowners ride through the feria grounds decked out in resplendent costumes, and people dance the ‘Sevillana‘ and ‘Seguidilla‘ in special pavilions set up by the wealthy. (Overnight Seville) B
Day 2: Tuesday 9 May, Seville Introductory Meeting Cathedral and Giralda of Seville Alcázar Santa Cruz Quarter Hospital de los Venerables Sacerdotes Welcome Evening Meal
This morning after an introductory meeting we visit Seville’s Cathedral. This huge building, which is the largest Gothic structure of its type in Europe, was built upon the foundations of the Almohad Friday Mosque by the Christian conquerors of the city. It retains the general plan and dimensions of the mosque and its courtyard that was used by the Islamic population for ritual ablutions. The courtyard, as its name – Patio de los Naranjos – suggests, is now dominated by a veritable forest of orange trees. Although now used primarily as a thoroughfare, the courtyard would once have provided Islamic students with a quiet shady place for the study of the Qur’an; plantings would have been more diverse at that time. The cathedral boasts what is arguably Spain’s greatest retablo mayore, a massive gilt and painted wood retable occupying the whole of the chancel wall. It also contains a number of major medieval, Renaissance and Baroque artworks and the tomb of Christopher Columbus.
The cathedral’s bell tower, originally the minaret of the Almohad Friday mosque, is in the same style as those at Rabat and Marrakesh in Morocco. It is a monumental, square tower that houses seven superimposed rooms. Access is provided by a ramp up which the Imam once rode a donkey five times a day to call the faithful to prayer. The exquisite brick patterns on its four façades assured its survival when Seville fell to the Christians. Upon it they placed a belfry (bells are anathema to Islam) and a weather vane, or Giraldillo, which gives the tower its modern name, ‘Giralda’.
Following some time at leisure for lunch, we visit Seville’s Alcázar, a fine Muslim palace built, not by the Islamic city’s Almohad dynasty, but by the Christian king, Pedro the Cruel, in the 14th century. This palace, its courtyards lined with fine stucco reliefs and coloured tiles, speaks of the cultural ambivalence of the Christian invaders who emulated the tastes of the vanquished Islamic princes. The Alcázar echoes the Alhambra (Granada) in its richness, and was, in fact, built in conscious imitation of that great group of mansions. Pedro saw in the architecture of the Alhambra a reflection of the sophistication of the autocratic Nasrid state of Granada, and by inserting his own emblem within a decorative scheme inspired by it was asserting his own status, authority and power. The complex grew beyond Pedro’s original palace and eventually included, for example, the Oratory of the Catholic Monarchs, with splendid early 16th-century polychrome tiles, a fine garden with a subterranean bath, and rooms in which expeditions to South America were planned. Appended to the palace is one of Spain’s greatest and most interesting gardens. These began as a typical Almohad ‘paradise’ garden, and although little remains of the original because of successive plantings by Christian monarchs (especially in the 19th and 20th centuries), much of the Mudéjar architecture (pavilions), the lovely discrete walled gardens near the palace, the ubiquitous pools and gently bubbling fountains, all reflect Spain’s cultural debt to the Muslims. Magnolia grandiflora, pittorosporum, palms, peaches, roses and bitter oranges share this garden with fascinating Central- and South American species brought back to Spain when Seville prospered as the country’s gateway to its colonies.
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We next walk through the Santa Cruz quarter, Seville’s medieval ghetto. Despite its narrow winding streets, this precinct grew in popularity in the 16th and 17th centuries. Aristocrats built small palaces here, without disturbing its original, picturesque street plan. A walk through this quarter, therefore, will provide us with a unique opportunity to discover the shape of old Seville.
We also visit the 17th century Hospital de los Venerables Sacerdotes. Originally one of Seville’s many charitable institutions, this is now a cultural centre. Of particular interest is its sunken courtyard, which is a fascinating fusion of a convent-cloister and a patio, a central court so characteristic of Spanish secular architecture. Arcaded galleries supporting the upper levels of the house surround this courtyard. Its design is a pleasant interplay of spaces of square and curved plan.
This evening we enjoy a welcome meal at a local restaurant. (Overnight Seville) BD
Day 3: Wednesday 10 May, Seville Casa de Pilatos Museum of Fine Arts (Museo de las Bellas Artes)
Unlike their Parisian counterparts in that city’s aristocratic district, the Marais, Seville’s noble palaces are usually found, not in exclusive suburbs, but in the narrow streets of the city that in the past would have been inhabited by vendors, craftsmen, beggars, and Murillo’s street urchins. Their often bland façades, however, give on to lovely patios and gardens which, following Islamic tradition, are enclosed, secret paradises embedded in, but contrasting dramatically to, the noisy, dirty, smelly city outside the walls. Today we visit a Sevillian mansion of the late-15th and 16th centuries, the Casa de Pilatos. Built by Fabrique de Ribera in 1519, it owes its name to a legend that it was modelled upon Pilate’s house in Jerusalem. Processions during Holy Week used to leave this building, winding their way out of the city to the Cruz del Campo, the distance believed to be exactly that from Pilate’s Jerusalem Praetorium to Golgotha, where Christ was crucified. The house, organised around a great patio, is a fascinating mix of Mudéjar, Flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance elements. An antique sculpture collection, adorning the main patio and the Jardín Chico (small garden), reflects the humanist tastes of its original owners. This garden also has a delightful pool, which was the water tank of the original house. This, and the Jardín Grande, have a marvellous variety of plants, including clusters of citrus and banana trees that thrive in Seville’s warm climate, and myriad flowers. The walls that enclose the gardens and their loggias are covered with brilliantly coloured bougainvillea and wisteria. Paths with yellow sand, also used in the bullrings of southern Spain, add yet more colour. Mature palms and figs give the gardens ample shade.
After some time at leisure for lunch, we visit the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville, a large museum of Andalucian art which was refurbished for Expo ’92. The museum is located in the former convent of the Merced Calzada whose architecture exemplifies Andalucian 17th-century mannerism, designed around three patios and a large stairway. It opened its doors to the public in 1841 with the works from closed down convents and monasteries. Today it is one of the best fine arts museums in Spain, whose impressive collection extends from the medieval to the modern, focusing on the work of Seville School artists such as Francisco de Zurbarán, Juan de Valdés Leal and Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. (Overnight Seville) B
Córdoba - 2 nights Day 4: Thursday 11 May, Seville – Córdoba Gardens of the Palace of Moratalla Lunch at ‘Restaurante Monasterio de San Francisco’
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Walking tour of the Patios of the Zona Alcazar Viejo, San Basilio District of Córdoba
Today we drive from Seville to Córdoba, capital of the great Caliphate of Córdoba, the earliest Muslim State in Spain (712-1031). Our first visit between, Seville and Córdoba, is to the Gardens of Moratalla (‘the Moor’s Lookout’), near the Sierra Morena, the mountain range that separates the Guadalquivir Valley and Andalucia from the vast plain of La Mancha in New Castile. This was originally a 19th-century English landscape garden but has been transformed over the last 150 years, not least by the great French garden designer Jean-Claude Nicholas Forestier, who fused a French grand vista with Neo-Arab elements, such as patios with brickwork, tiles and low fountains. Cypresses (Cupressus sempervirens and Cupressus arizonica), oleanders and mimosas contribute to the (French) perspective that these Arab elements inflect. This garden, like the Casa de Pilatos, was a property of the famous Medinacelli family and the present proprietor, the Duke of Segorbe, takes a very dynamic approach, constantly transforming it. He believes the garden to be a living world and therefore a place where constant transformations may be made. He was a friend of Salvador Dalí, with whom he shared an interest in philosophy. The fruits of this friendship are seen in garden details like the spiral pool; the spiral is an age-old image of unity and infinity.
After visiting this lovely garden, we take lunch at the nearby Restaurante Monasterio de San Francisco, a religious foundation founded by the seventh Lord of Palma in the late 15th century. The monks from this monastery are purported to have founded settlements in California that have grown to be cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles!
We next drive to Córdoba and spend the early evening exploring its patios. This tour has been timetabled to visit Córdoba during the recently inaugurated festival of the patios. This city has some of the loveliest small urban gardens in Spain, located in the courtyards of old Córdoban houses. Some of these houses are very, very old; everywhere in the ancient city core are to be found the fragments of Muslim dwellings built before the end of the 11th century. Even if houses were constructed later, they follow earlier plans because their foundations (and many of their cellars) are the walls of older houses. Once a year, Córdoba opens its patios in an Andalucian version of our open garden scheme; prizes are given to the best exhibits. Many of the previous prize-winners are in the San Basilio district of the city near our hotel. (Overnight Córdoba) BL
Day 5: Friday 12 May, Córdoba Synagogue, Córdoba Great Mosque, Córdoba Alcázar Gardens Afternoon at leisure Palacio de Viana and Córdoba Patios
After breakfast at our Córdoba hotel, which is in the Jewish Quarter (Judería) of the city, we visit Córdoba’s delightful small synagogue. The Jews arrived in Córdoba before the Muslims and almost immediately made it a centre of learning. They established the Jewish Quarter after the city had become the capital of Muslim Spain. Its 14th-century synagogue is one of three surviving medieval synagogues in Spain. It has a women’s gallery, and the upper reaches of its walls are in the Mudéjar stucco style, with Hebrew inscriptions. These stuccoes, like those of many mosques, alternate geometrical and vegetal motifs.
We continue our morning program with a visit to the great mosque of Córdoba. The mosque (c.786-986), one of the earliest and finest still standing, was constructed by successive members of the Ummayad dynasty. Its outer façades boast exquisite geometrical and floral patterns set in the tympana of horseshoe arches and in panels above them. Within the prayer hall is a forest of columns supporting superimposed tiers of polychrome arches thought to have been modelled upon the Roman aqueduct at Merida. The
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mihrab (prayer niche) is adorned with exquisite abstract designs in mosaic executed by a school of Byzantine mosaicists from Constantinople. These mosaics, and those of the domes above the mihrab, give meaning to Allah’s prescription to the prophet concerning images: that they should be act as a simile to nature, not an abstraction of it; and that they should convey by their delicacy the notion that nothing material has meaning or permanence. The mosque is punctured by a huge cathedral; its minaret became the cathedral bell tower.
Our tour also takes in the Alcázar Gardens. The latter have been planted in the old castle and administrative centre of the Islamic city; typically, the Alcázar was close to the Friday Mosque (Great Mosque) where the whole male community gathered each Friday to pray and to hear the Friday sermon. The Alcázar gardens stand on the oldest garden site in Spain (9th century) and, although the present gardens are from the 19th- and 20th centuries, they are sensitively designed to evoke the feel, if not the exact form, of the original. They constitute a fine orchestration of hedges and clipped orange trees, roses and gentle pools.
Following an afternoon at leisure, we remeet in the early evening and continue to explore the patios of Córdoba. Our tour includes a visit to the Palacio de Viana. Located on the northern edge of the old town, this traditional Andalusian mansion features twelve patios covering the Renaissance and Baroque periods with fountains, formal parterres, citrus trees, date palms and roses with a profusion of pots, pebbled floors and elegant arches. (Overnight Córdoba) B
Ronda - 1 night Day 6: Saturday 13 May, Córdoba – Ronda Puente Nuevo, Ronda Bullring, Ronda Casa del Rey Moro, Ronda
This morning we depart early for the magnificent Andalusian ‘white town’ of Ronda, dramatically sited on sheer cliffs above a deep ravine, with grand panoramic views framed by mountains. The early 19th century artists David Roberts and J.F. Lewis both painted the picturesque view of the Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) which spans the deep ravine, ‘El Tajo‘, separating the two parts of Ronda, the old Muslim town and the Christian district, the Mercadillo. The Guadelvin River cut this ravine, and the high bridge which spans it was built in the late eighteenth century. Of Roman origin, Ronda became an almost impregnable Muslim fortress city until the armies of Ferdinand and Isabella took it in 1485. It retains another Roman bridge that those who wish may cross to visit the Muslim baths, a reminder of its Islamic history.
In 1493, eight years after the Christian capture of the city, the Maestranza, a Company of Knights, was formed here for the supervision of bullfighting. Ronda’s bullring, the second oldest in Spain after that of Seville, was built here in 1794. In the 18th century Ronda’s greatest matador was Pedro Romero, who is believed to have developed the classical bull-fighting style of the School of Ronda. We shall visit the bullring in the Mercedillo.
The old town preserves its Muslim street plan. Here we visit the Casa del Rey Moro, the Moorish King’s House. The present 18th-century palace purportedly occupies the site of a palace of one of the petty Muslim kings of Ronda, and has a fine garden with steps leading down to the river below. The splendid small Hispano-Moresque garden (hortus conclusus) was originally designed by the great 19th-century gardener Jean-Claude Nicholas Forestier for the house’s owner, the Duchess of Parcent. Forestier (1861-1930), a botanical and forestry expert, town planner and garden designer, was extremely influential in Spain, Cuba and Central America. He became conservateur of the promenades of Paris and developed an
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arboretum at Vincennes and the gardens of the Champ-de-Mars below the Eiffel Tower. He also influenced the layout of Havana and Buenos Aires. He is renowned for his innovations, including the ‘Neo-Arab’ or ‘Neo-Sevillian’ garden. His own gardens and those inspired by his innovations are to be found throughout Spain, amongst them are the Park of María Luisa in Seville and Montjuïc in Barcelona. His gardens in Ronda combine Islamic features like ceramic tiles with the formality of a European garden. A wide variety of carefully combined trees such as palms, laurel, cedar, oleander and myrtle form a verdant canopy under which a profusion of flowers gives colour and fragrance.
Tonight we sample Andalusian cuisine together in the restaurant of the Parador de Ronda. (Overnight Ronda) BD
Granada - 3 nights Day 7: Sunday 14 May, Ronda – Málaga – Granada Garden of Palacio de Marqués de Salvatierra, Ronda (by private appointment) Lunch at El Carambuco Historical-Botanical Garden La Concepción, Málaga
This morning we visit the Palacio of Marqués de Salvatierra, an 18th-century renovation of an earlier 16th- century building, gifted to the family by the Reyes Catolicos. Its impressive Baroque entrance displays sculpted figures believed to represent natives of South America. The current Marqués of Salvatierra, Rafael Atienza, has kindly agreed to give us a tour of his garden which includes a rare, 200-year-old pinsapo (evergreen fir). Abies pinsapo is a species of fir native to southern Spain and northern Morocco. Related to other species of Mediterranean firs, it is considered the Andalusian National Tree. In Spain, it appears at altitudes of 900–1,800 metres in the Sierra de Grazalema in the province of Cádiz and the Sierra de las Nieves and Sierra Bermeja, both near Ronda in the province of Málaga.
We next drive through the hills above the Mediterranean coast to Finca Carambuco, a cortijo (Andalusian country estate) located south of Málaga. Owned by the Baroja family (Pío Baroja is one of the most important Spanish authors of the 20th century) the estate features a subtropical garden with an outstanding Phytolacca dioica tree and an alley of Peacan trees. Here we enjoy lunch, tour the garden and learn about the estate’s literary history.
Nearby we visit Málaga’s La Concepción garden, begun in 1889 by Thomas Livermore, who was British consul in this city. La Concepción, which at one point commands views down over the city, is an important example of a Mediterranean coastal garden, and affords interesting comparisons to gardens on the Catalan coast north of Barcelona.
We continue our drive through the Sierra Nevada, which acted as a barrier protecting the Spain’s last Muslim kingdom, Granada, from Christian incursions. You will gain a strong feel for the way the mountains isolated Granada from the grand views you will encounter along this road. We arrive in the late afternoon at the great capital of this Muslim kingdom and check into our hotel in the centre of town. (Overnight Granada) BL
Day 8: Monday 15 May, Granada Alhambra and Generalife Dinner at ‘El Huerto de Juan Ranas’
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This morning we visit the Alhambra (1354-1391) and Generalife (summer palace and villa of the Nasrid rulers) to study the architecture and garden design of Nasrid Granada. We visit palaces and villas in the complex that centre upon the Court of the Myrtles and the Court of the Lions, and the Generalife. The first complex – comprising the Patio de Machuca, the Mexuar, the Patio del Cuarto Dorado, and the Patio de Comares (Court of the Myrtles) – gives a sense of the disposition of an Islamic palace, the discrete, hermetic spaces of which bespeak Islam’s emphasis on privacy. This complex combines areas where the ruler sat in court or received ambassadors with a harem designed to isolate the royal household from the outside world. In essence the palace is introverted, its main façade secreted within the Patio del Cuarto Dorado, rather than turning outwards to announce to the outside world the palaces within, in the way of a Western façade. The Hall of the Ambassadors is an example of the spatial rhetoric of power, while the Patio de Comares used a great pool and trees (later replaced by hedges of myrtle) to create a paradisal, secluded core to the complex. Next to this group is the villa of the Nasrids, built about the Court of the Lions, whose fine stucco arches and slender columns are, some scholars argue, the architectural evocation of an oasis. Here we find rooms decorated with exquisite detailing, such as the Abencerrajes Gallery, the Sala de los Reyes, and the Sala de las Dos Hermanas, two of which have extraordinary stucco domes reproducing star bursts in the desert sky. Beneath this villa there is yet another villa, to which are attached the Royal Baths.
We then walk out across the pine-forested hills of the Alhambra Mountain to the Generalife, an exquisite villa retreat and hunting lodge of the Nasrids. Here we see gardens to rival the Villa d’Este, outside Rome, with fine fountains whose sounds were intended to provide a poetic counterpoint to the architectural aesthetics of the Arab palace or villa.
Lastly, we shall visit the Alcazaba, the fortress of the Alhambra, which has a broad panorama of the Sierra Nevada. The Alhambra and Generalife complexes sit within what could almost be termed a ‘forest’ that covers their hills. Watered by conduits from the Sierra Nevada, this lush environment enabled not only the inimitable orchestration of buildings and plants in the main complex, but also a proliferation of carmenes around it.
Tonight we shall dine together at the restaurant ‘El Huerto de Juan Ranas’, which enjoys one of the best views of the Alhambra from the Albaicín and serves delicate Arabic influenced dishes. (Overnight Granada) BD
Day 9: Tuesday 16 May, Granada Corral del Carbón Capilla Real Cathedral Muslim Baths Afternoon at leisure
This morning we shall visit Muslim and Christian sites in the centre of Granada. We shall start our tour at the market centre of Islamic Granada where we shall visit the Corral del Carbón, a 14th century warehouse and inn (caravanserai) for merchants, which is the only one of its type to have survived in Spain. Despite recent restoration, the ground plan, the central water trough for animals, and the delicately carved brick and plaster gateway date to the Middle Ages. From here we shall make our way through the Alcaicería, an area of narrow gridded streets which were once part of the covered market (Arabic, al-Qaysariyya) of the Muslim rulers of Granada.
Nearby we visit the Capilla Real (Royal Chapel), built in flamboyant late Gothic style, which houses the magnificent Renaissance tombs of Ferdinand and Isabella, their daughter Joan ‘the Mad’ and her husband
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Philip ‘the Handsome’. In the adjacent Sacristy is a dazzling collection of royal regalia and Flemish paintings. We then walk to the cathedral, one of Spain’s last, which was envisaged by its founder, Charles V, as a model of the heavenly Jerusalem.
After visiting the centre of Granada we shall explore its most important residential quarter, the Albaicín, which nestles below the Alhambra. The Albaicín was the last refuge of the Muslims of Granada and traces of its Islamic heritage remain to be discovered, including a beautiful and tranquil bathhouse, and fragments of minarets converted into church towers. The afternoon will be at leisure. (Overnight Granada) B
Toledo - 2 nights Day 10: Wednesday 17 May, Granada – Toledo Toledo Cathedral Santo Tomé Church Museo El Greco
Today we drive north, through the Siera Morena, into the vast, arid plain of La Mancha, famed for its association with Don Quixote, and for its dry wine and Manchego cheese. Toledo, located on a promontory created by a bend in the River Tagus or Tajo, is another Spanish city with a multi-layered past. Inhabited at least from Roman times onwards, Toledo (Toletum) was a provincial town until the Visigothic period when it became an important ecclesiastical centre, and in the mid-6th century AD, the Visigothic capital. Visigothic Toledo was dominated by its castle, and although it is long gone, the Alcázar, its successor, stands on its original site.
Toledo was conquered by Arabo-Berber armies in 712 AD and became part of the Umayyad state of Córdoba. The inhabitants of the city regularly revolted against their Umayyad masters and in the early 11th century when the Umayyad Caliphate collapsed Toledo, like many other cities, became the seat of a Ta’ifa (petty) kingdom. During this period, Toledo became the centre of the Mozarabic Church, whose Visigothic rituals and liturgy were deeply influenced by Muslim culture. It also played an important cultural role in transmitting the rich syncretic literary and scientific heritage of al-Andalus to the Christian north of the Iberian peninsula and on to northern Europe. Toledo was captured by Alfonso VI of Castile in 1085 and was thus one of the first major Muslim cities to fall to the Christians.
Culturally, however, Toledo remained ‘Islamic’ for centuries after the imposition of Christian rule. Large Muslim and Jewish subject communities remained, and they were employed by their new Castilian rulers to emulate earlier Muslim art and architecture, creating a distinctively Toledan Mudéjar style. This style is a blend of Roman, Visigothic, Umayyad and later Almohad styles characterised by decorative screenwork realised in brick on the exteriors of churches and bell towers. Toledan Mudéjar can also be found in the former synagogues of the Judería (ghetto), Santa Maria la Blanca and El Tránsito, which contain stuccowork decoration that mimics Almohad and Nasrid styles respectively. The cathedral, built on the site of the great mosque, also bears many traces of Toledo’s multi-cultural character, whilst the narrow twisting streets of the old city and its absence of open squares and public spaces perpetuate Muslim urban-planning. Despite Toledo’s strong tradition of cultural eclecticism, the growth in Castilian Catholic militancy in the 15th and 16th centuries changed the city’s form and culture forever. After the unification of Aragón and Castile to form the nucleus of modern Spain in the 15th century, and the fall of Granada in 1492, the monarchs of Spain became less tolerant towards Jewish, Muslim and Mozarab culture. The Counter-Reformation and its Inquisition, a tool to root out Crypto-Jews and Muslims, confirmed Spain’s close association with Catholicism, a change most dramatically stated in Toledo in the cathedral, the most richly decorated of all Spain’s Gothic edifices and a trenchant architectural expression of Christianity triumphant. When Toledo
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lost commercial status to Seville, the hub of New World commerce, and political status to Madrid, Philip II’s capital from 1561, parochial conservatism replaced her old cosmopolitan style. In the 16th and 17th centuries a pious aristocracy emerged in the city numbering many mystics in its ranks. Many aristocrats, influenced by the Counter-Reformation’s emphasis on good works, spent vast amounts of money adding monastic foundations to the urban fabric, creating an imposing ecclesiastical cordon around the medieval core of Toledo.
This afternoon, we begin our tour of this splendid city with a visit of Toledo’s Cathedral, a Gothic cathedral modelled upon Bourges Cathedral in France. The construction of the cathedral began two centuries after Toledo’s capture by Alfonso VI of Castile in 1085, and until its construction the Christians worshipped in the re-dedicated great mosque of the city. In the 14th century the great mosque was finally torn down and a Gothic cathedral constructed on its foundations implicitly celebrating the Catholic triumph not only over Muslim culture but also over the syncretic culture of the Mozarabs of Toledo, upholders of an Arabised Visigothic church tradition rejected by northern Iberian Catholics. However, even this self-consciously Gothic Catholic cathedral has distinguishable Mudéjar elements, and is still one of the few places where the Visigothic liturgy is on occasion recited. Later monarchs and state dignitaries embellished the cathedral by the addition of a rich choir, decorated with reliefs recounting the conquest of Granada, and sumptuous chapels. We shall look at both the exterior and interior of the cathedral, noting in particular the opulent retablo mayor, the choir and the lateral chapels.
We shall also visit the Cathedral Museum which holds a range of works by El Greco, Titian, Zurbarán, and Ribera, and the Almohad banners captured by the Castilians at the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212. In the treasury we shall see an illuminated manuscript given by St Louis of France to Alfonso X and a massive Gothic gold monstrance in the shape of the intricate flèche of a cathedral. We also visit the El Greco museum, which displays a great collection of the painter’s works, and the Church of Santo Tomé, which houses El Greco’s famous The Burial of Count Orgaz. (Overnight Toledo) B
Day 11: Thursday 18 May, Toledo El Tránsito Santa Maria la Blanca San Juan de los Reyes Monastery Palacio de Galiana: visit and drinks Cigarral de los Menores
This morning we continue our guided tour of Toledo with visits to the two former Mudéjar synagogues of Santa Maria la Blanca and El Tránsito. Santa Maria la Blanca is a 13th century building which bears a strong similarity to contemporary Almohad architecture further south, whilst El Tránsito is a 14th century structure with stucco panels of a similar style to those in the Alcázar of Seville and the Alhambra. El Tránsito also houses a small museum dealing with the history of the Jews in Iberia.
We also visit San Juan de los Reyes, a Franciscan monastery originally intended, before the capture of Granada, as the mausoleum of Ferdinand of Aragón and Isabella of Castile. The monastery has a beautiful two-storey cloister, a typically Spanish form, with exquisite flamboyant tracery. The mausoleum church itself will remind you of the Capilla Real in Granada. On the walls are intricate Gothic reliefs with the coats-of- arms of the Christian monarchs. One façade of this chapel is hung with the chains of Christian galley slaves bought from the Muslims by charitable individuals and organisations; a charitable act among both Christians and Muslims was to buy the freedom of co-religionists enslaved by the devotees of the other faith.
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We will then travel just outside Toledo to visit a lovely garden as a guest of its owners. It is known as the Galiana Palace, but its owners prefer to call it Galiana Castle. The hills surrounding Toledo on the opposite banks of the River Tagus command stunning views of the medieval walled city and are dotted with private estates called cigarrales, the Toledan equivalent of the carmenes of Granada. Some believe that these country houses owe their name to singing cicadas (cigarras in Spanish) found here in summertime. Each cigarral consists of a large, several-storey home with garden and orchard. The style of the house is usually quite humble and somewhat rustic. Many have white walls and are surrounded by terraces and patios that cascade down the steep hillsides. Often planted with lilacs, lilies and irises, these gardens and the houses they surrounded were the equivalent of Italian villas, affording citizens and minor clergy relief in summer from the hot, narrow, smelly, crowded streets of the old city. They were often used as places in which to recuperate from illness. They invariably commandmagnificent views of the great city. The forty-year-old garden of Galiana Castle was created round the ruins of a Mudéjar villa built by Alfonso X, ‘the Wise’. He was a great patron of culture, and it is during his reign that Muslim, Jewish and Christian scholars in Toledo translated many Islamic classics into Romance languages. Alfonso’s palace occupied the site of an earlier Muslim establishment called the ‘Pavilion of the Water Wheel'; a water wheel, used by the Muslims to lift water from the Tajo, has been reconstructed nearby. Such medieval inventions, brought by Muslims from the Middle East, introduced vital irrigation technology to Spain. Carmen Marañón and her husband Alejandro Fernández Araoz reconstructed the ruined palace sensitively in the late 1950s and 1960s. In order to avoid compromising the original structure, they built a home for themselves elsewhere. The garden, which is a masterpiece, was inspired by the Alhambra and Generalife in Granada. For example, as in the Generalife, Cypresses are used as a sculptural element; the garden has a strict formality that gives it an ascetic feel.
We next meet Maria Marañón, who will accompany us to visit her own family home, the Cigarral de Menores. Dating from 1617, the Cigarral de Menores has been in the ownership of the Marañón family since the Toledan writer Dr. Gregorio Marañón acquired it in 1922. We shall explore its charming garden, surrounded by olive groves and orchards, and featuring little beds edged in box and myrtle hedging, fountains, a pool and a glasshouse.
Tonight we will enjoy a meal in a local restaurant. (Overnight Toledo) BLD
Jarandilla de la Vera - 2 nights Day 12: Friday 19 May, Toledo – Trujillo – Jarandilla de la Vera Visit of olive grove and olive oil production workshop Private garden of the late Olga Mayans & buffet lunch, Trujillo Exploring Trujillo’s rich heritage
This morning we are joined by leading Spanish landscape designer, filmmaker and photographer Eduardo Mencos, who will accompany us to Jarandilla de la Vera. From Toledo in Castile, we head to the western frontier region of Extremadura, famous for its conquistadors like Francisco Pizarro, who conquered much of South America. We travel through an area of undulating hills where traditionally the noble Trujillanos had their olive groves and vines producing oil and wine for their own consumption. Today the region of Extremadura produces approximately 3.3% of the total olive oil produced in Spain. The types of olives that are cultivated in this region for the production of oil include Cornicabra, Carrasqueña and Morisca. Eduardo will take us to visit a local olive grove and oil production workshop.
In the very centre of Trujillo, Pizarro’s home town, Eduardo Mencos’ close friend Carlos Mayans will welcome us to his late mother’s beautiful garden built around the ruins of the medieval city’s old castle. Our
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visit will include a light tapas lunch hosted by Carlos.
This afternoon we explore the rich heritage of Trujillo. Among the most important monuments are the Castle (Alcazaba), the church of Santiago, the church of Santa María la Mayor, the church of San Francisco, the Church of San Martín, the Plaza Mayor, and beautiful palaces like the palace of the Marquis of the Conquest, the palace of the Orellana-Pizarro family, the palace of the Duques de San Carlos, Marquesado de Piedras Albas, the house of the strong Altamirano, Palace Chaves (Luis Chaves Old)..
Tonight we stay at the nearby countryside Parador of Jarandilla de la Vera. Housed in a 14th-century castle, this parador retains many historic features including Gothic galleries, a fireplace specially built for Emperor Charles V, and an ancient garden featuring a fountain famous for bringing good fortune. We shall dine at the Parador’s restaurant, which offers a delightful selection of Extremaduran cuisine. (Overnight Jarandilla de la Vera) BLD
Day 13: Saturday 20 May, Jarandilla de la Vera – Monfragüe National Park – Jarandilla de la Vera Monfragüe National Park Visit and lunch at ‘La Lancha’ – private farm of Eduardo Mencos & Anneli Bojstad, Jarandilla de la Vera
We spend the morning exploring Monfragüe National Park, a UNESCO listed Biosphere Reserve. Accompanied by Eduardo and a local naturalist, we shall study the many species of Mediterranean plants and trees, and visit a number of observation blinds located along the course of the river Tagus in order to view (with the aid of telescopes) the park’s magnificent variety of birds of prey. Monfragüe is an outstanding site for raptors, with more than 15 regular breeding species, including the world’s largest breeding concentration of the Eurasian Black Vulture, a large population of Griffon Vultures, and several pairs of Spanish Imperial Eagle, Golden Eagle and Bonelli’s Eagle. During our tour we shall also view a number of the park’s geological and cultural landmarks including the ‘Bridge of the Cardinal’ the ruined Castle of Monfragüe; and the Penafalcon, an impressive rock face carved by the river Tagus.
Over the past 10 years Eduardo and Anneli have shown much generosity in opening their family’s gardens to our group members, including their 30-hectare country farm ‘La Lancha’ that we visit this afternoon. On the grounds of ‘La Lancha’, Eduardo has produced his version of an 18th-century ‘ornamental farm’ – a landscaped working farm with decorative features such as arbours, antique wells, water reservoirs, ruins. You won’t see a single wire or a water deposit (they are hidden underground). Here Anneli and Eduardo grow organic olives and raspberries and breed Merino sheep which roam free around the property. Their free range hens supply fresh eggs and solar panels produce the electricity. We shall explore the farm and enjoy a light lunch as guests of Eduardo and Anneli.
In the late afternoon we return to Jarandilla de la Vera to enjoy another meal at the Parador’s restaurant. (Overnight Jarandilla de la Vera) BLD
Segovia - 1 night Day 14: Sunday 20 May, Jarandilla de la Vera – Ávila – Segovia Ávila’s city walls Garden of San Segundo, Villa Winthuysen
Early this morning we depart for Ávila, one of the many Spanish towns which began life as a Christian
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frontier post located in the medieval marches between al-Andalus and the tiny northern Christian kingdoms. The architecture of Ávila reflects the martial and entrepreneurial spirit of its early inhabitants (soldiers of fortune, aristocrats of modest means and peasants) who were prepared to risk everything to profit from the freedom and opportunities afforded by life on the frontier. The town is encircled by strikingly complete late 11th-century walls, whilst inside, the small fortified palaces of its late medieval inhabitants reflect the same desire for a good life as the late medieval houses of the Italian urban classes. Ávila also possesses several fine Romanesque churches and later monasteries, including the Convento de la Encarnación, where Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada (Teresa of Ávila), the co-patron saint of Spain, lived for 27 years in the 16th century. It was here that she experienced the spiritual ecstasies that she described in a language so vivid that it has influenced Spanish literature ever since. On arrival, there will be some time at leisure for lunch and to explore a section of Ávila’s city walls. Declared a National Monument in 1884, in addition to its obvious defensive function, the wall controlled the entrance of provisions and merchandise, guarded it against the potential outbreak of a plague or epidemic elsewhere. Its plan is an irregular rectangle, defended by crenellated towers and round turrets. Nine gates provided access to the city, of which the most spectacular is Puerta del Alcázar (Gate of the Fortress). A walk along the top of the walls provides spectacular views of the town and countryside.
We then visit the Garden of San Segundo, owned by good friend of Eduardo Mencos, Juan Martínez de las Rivas, Spanish Grandee Marqués del Salar. In Eduardo Mencos’ important book Hidden Gardens of Spain the garden is described as “a miracle of colour, fragrance and joy protected from the outside world by the longest city wall in Europe, like the walled fortress of the Alhambra in Andalucia”. In 1920, the Viscount of Güell bought a number of houses and an adjacent vegetable garden and commissioned the Spanish master Javier de Winthuysen (also a painter and a writer on gardens) to design him this garden. Winthuysen had an international reputation, and is known for his contribution to the world famous garden of Villandry in the Loire Valley. San Segundo’s garden has kept Winthuysen’s legacy. His design drew inspiration from secluded monastery and Islamic gardens; the lovely small house acts as an adjunct to the garden rather than dominating it, as in the Islamic style. The present owner, who is a gardener, author, and published scholar on garden history, will show us his garden and discuss its design with you.
In the late afternoon we drive to Segovia, where we shall dine at the Parador’s restaurant. (Overnight Segovia) BD
Madrid - 3 nights Day 15: Monday 22 May, Segovia – Madrid Segovia’s Old Town Lunch at Mesón de Cándido restaurant Romeral of San Marcos, Segovia Evening reception at the private home of art collector Sofía Barroso Evening lecture by sculptor and landscape designer Álvaro de la Rosa ‘Water Features in Contemporary Spanish Gardens’
We spend the morning exploring Segovia, a city settled since Roman times. During the early Islamic period, Segovia stood in the marches between the Kingdom of the Asturias and Umayyad Córdoba and may have been temporarily deserted. In the 10th century, the Umayyad caliphs constructed a frontier fortress here. Segovia subsequently became part of the Ta’ifa kingdom of Toledo. Segovia became Castilian after the fall of Toledo. In the 14th and 15th centuries the Muslim fortress was rebuilt as a Christian castle and in the 16th century, a Gothic cathedral with unusual Classical domes was constructed. Segovia’s Roman aqueduct, a remarkable dry-stone structure, was partially destroyed in the Middle Ages and rebuilt by Isabella of
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Castile in the 15th century.
Midday we dine at Mesón de Cándido to feast on the town’s local speciality, roast suckling pig.
Before departing the city, we visit the beautiful Romeral de San Marcos, situated below limestone shelves on the Eresma river at the foot of Segovia’s great castle. The famous landscape architect, Leandro Silva, created this, his intimate half-acre garden to echo the paradisal feel an old Segovian huerta (orchard or market garden). Its sheltered position creates a microclimate that protects a wide variety of plants that would not normally prosper in the tough Segovian climate. At times, this small garden bursts into colour provided by a feast of different flowers. After exploring this beautiful garden we drive to Madrid.
This evening we are hosted by Sofía Barroso who will show us her Madrid-based office, which houses an impressive private art collection. Sofía Barroso was born in London, the daughter of Spanish diplomats, and has a degree in art history from Madrid Universidad Complutense. She is an art collector and has been involved in the Spanish art and museum scene as well as with historic gardens and the new Spanish school of landscape design. Tonight, we meet the award-winning sculptor and landscape designer Álvaro de la Rosa, who will deliver a talk on ‘Water Features in Contemporary Spanish Gardens’. (Overnight Madrid) BLD
Day 16: Tuesday 23 May, Madrid – Guadalajara – Madrid ‘Terraza de los Laureles’, Royal Botanical Gardens, by Fernando Caruncho Landscape Design Projects by Álvaro de la Rosa La Zarcilla, private garden and lunch Jardin Rosales designed by Fernando Caruncho
Today, Álvaro de la Rosa will show us examples of his work (Álvaro’s projects include designs for patios, terraces and urban houses). He will also accompany us to the Royal Botanical Gardens, where in 2005 a modern addition designed by well-known Spanish landscape architect Fernando Caruncho, with architect Pablo Carvajal, was commissioned to house the extensive bonsai collection of former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe González. The new garden called the ‘Terraza de los Laureles’ consists of an elevated avenue, a central square with a pond and a small greenhouse, and provides a grand panorama of the historic gardens below.
La Zarcilla, located in the residential quarter of La Florida, is a landscaped rose garden owned by Blanca De Rueda. Considered a ‘rose expert’ and an exceptional cook, Blanca specialises in painting botanical motifs on ceramics and porcelain. We shall tour the rose beds and enjoy lunch in the gardens.
Our final visit for today allows us to view another design by Fernando Caruncho. The garden is featured in Mirrors of Paradise: The Gardens of Fernando Caruncho, edited by Monacelli Press: “Renowned internationally for serene compositions based on timeless principles of natural forms and geometry, Caruncho has recently completed two landscapes in the United States, one in the rolling farmland of New Jersey and the other in Florida. Caruncho draws inspiration from a wide spectrum of precedents –the garden-academies of ancient Greek philosophers as well as important historic gardens in Spain, Italy, France, and Japan …. Caruncho’s gardens range from small urban spaces to grand country estates, and his design trademarks include geometric grids, rolling waves of the shrub escallonia, refined and playful pavilions and gazebos, calm reflecting pools, and vistas that capitalize on the contrasts inherent in his plant palette. In their inventive and evocative fusion of the historic and contemporary, Caruncho’s garden designs are masterful compositions that exemplify the formal garden for the new millennium”. Jardin Rosales was one of Caruncho’s first projects, designed for his parents-in-law, Mr & Mrs Rosales in the 1980s. Also located in the residential quarter of La Florida, this beautiful garden is minimalistic and features waves of
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escallonia. (Overnight Madrid) BL
Day 17: Wednesday 24 May, Madrid – Guadalajara – Madrid Patrick Blanc’s Vertical Garden, CaixaForum, Madrid Prado Museum Private gardens and Farewell lunch hosted by Eduardo Mencos’ family
We begin today with a brief visit to Madrid’s CaixaForum where we may view an example of Patrick Blanc’s vertical gardens. This is not only the first to be installed in Spain but also the largest implemented to date on a façade without gaps, as it has a planted surface area of 460 m2. The result is a surprising, multicoloured ‘living painting’ that, in addition to being visually attractive, also acts as an effective environmental agent. The vertical garden forms an impressive natural tapestry made up of 15,000 plants of 250 different species that have transformed one of the buildings adjoining the developed area of the CaixaForum Madrid into a surprising garden.
We spend the remainder of the morning visiting the Prado. One of the gallery’s key collections comprises the works of Hieronymus Bosch and the Flemish School from the collections of Philip II. The extraordinary apocalyptic visions of Bosch were once housed at the Escorial in the Philip II’s private apartments, but were stored away during the Enlightenment because they were considered too extreme. It was Goya who revived interest in them. We shall also look at the collections of Dürer, Titian and Rubens before moving on to the works of the Spanish Baroque. Our encounter with works by Velázquez and Zurbarán, El Greco and Goya will explore the strange mix of realism and fantastic distortion which distinguishes the Spanish tradition. We shall study the grand portrait tradition, works by Velázquez, such as Las Meninas, and the extraordinary mystical visions of El Greco. We also trace Goya’s development from the early tapestry cartoons through the royal portraits, and horrific visions of the war with the French, to the so-called ‘Black Paintings’ of his old age.
This afternoon we enjoy a very special highlight of our tour with visits to the private gardens of one of Spain’s great gardening families. Here we explore how they have changed the arid meseta near the nation’s capital with their distinctive gardens. We first drive across the empty plains of Guadalajara province and through the sun-baked olive-covered hills of La Alcarría, to reach the garden created by the Marquesa de Casa Valdés, Eduardo Mencos’ grandmother and author of the seminal book Jardines de España (Gardens of Spain), which has had a profound influence on modern Spanish gardening. Against the advice of many, the Marquesa de Casa Valdés created her garden in 1945 in a particularly arid terrain subject to extreme temperatures. It became a triumph in tempering the environment and a landmark in the development of modern Spanish gardens. The garden now belongs to Beatriz Valdés Ozores (Condesa de Bornos), one of the author’s daughters. The Condesa, along with her sisters María and Micaela (Eduardo’s mother), who also welcome us to visit their own gardens nearby, will kindly host our Farewell Lunch. (Overnight Madrid) BL
Day 18: Thursday 25 May, tour ends, Madrid Departure transfer to Madrid’s Airport for participants travelling on the ASA ‘designated’ flight
The tour ends in Madrid. Participants travelling on the ASA ‘designated’ flight will transfer to the airport to take their flight home to Australia. Alternatively you may wish to extend your stay in Spain. Please contact ASA if you require further assistance. B
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Accommodation 18 days in Spain
A special feature of this tour is our stay in the 4-star Parador de Ronda, Parador de Jarandilla de la Vera and Parador de Segovia. All hotels are rated 4-star locally and are comfortable and conveniently situated. All rooms have shower or bath and W.C. Double rooms (for single use) may be requested – and are subject to availability and payment of the applicable supplement. Further information on hotels will be provided in the 'Tour Hotel List' given to tour members prior to their departure.
Seville (3 nights): 4-star Hotel Inglaterra - situated 250 metres from the Cathedral, overlooking the Plaza Nueva. As Seville's most prestigious establishment in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it received visits from illustrious people of the time, including King Alfonso XIII, Queen Elizabeth of Belgium and the Prince of Wales. www.hotelinglaterra.es Córdoba (2 nights): 4-star Hotel NH Collection Amistad Córdoba - housed in two 18th-century Moorish mansions, and located in the historic centre. Careful renovation has restored the interior Mudéjar style courtyard, the neo-classical façade and the ornate wood-carved coffered ceilings to their original splendour. www.nh-hoteles.com Ronda (1 night): 4-star Parador de Ronda - housed in the former 18th-century city hall, located in the historical centre, alongside the Tagus River, next to the Puente Nuevo and the bullring. Ernest Hemingway lived and wrote here. His famous novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls, tells of the atrocities committed here during the Spanish civil war. www.parador.es Granada (3 nights): 4-star Meliá Granada - recently renovated and close to the Cathedral and Alhambra Palace. www.melia.com Toledo (2 nights): 4-star Hotel San Juan de los Reyes - located in the famous Jewish quarter, within easy walking distance of the town's historic monuments. en.hotelsanjuandelosreyes.com Jarandilla de la Vera (2 nights): 4-star Parador de Jarandilla de la Vera - housed in a 14th-century palace/castle in the countryside of Western Spain (Extremadura). The hotel retains many historic features including Gothic galleries, a fireplace specially built for Emperor Charles V, and an ancient garden featuring a fountain famous for its fortune properties. www.parador.es Segovia (1 night): 4-star Parador de Segovia - a modern hotel with splendid views over the city. www.parador.es Madrid (3 nights): 4-star Hotel Liabeny - chosen for its location, 100 metres from the Gran Via, Plaza de Callao and Puerta del Sol. www.liabeny.es
Note: hotels are subject to change, in which case a hotel of similar standard will be provided.
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Tour Map
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Tour Price & Inclusions AUD $10,780.00 Land Content Only - Early-Bird Special: book before 30 June 2016
AUD $10,980.00 Land Content Only
AUD $1780.00 Double (as single) Supplement
For competitive Economy, Business or First Class airfares and/or group airfares please contact ASA for further information.
Tour Price (Land Content Only) includes:
Accommodation in twin-share rooms with private facilities in 4-star hotels Breakfast daily, lunches and evening meals indicated in the tour itinerary, where: B=breakfast, L =lunch & D=evening meal Drinks at welcome and farewell meals. Other meals may not have drinks included. Transportation by air-conditioned coach Airport-hotel transfers if travelling on the ASA 'designated' flights Porterage of one piece of luggage per person at hotels (not at airports) Lecture and site-visit program Tour notes & handbook Light refreshments as indicated in the itinerary Entrance fees Use of audio headsets during site visits Tips for the coach driver, local guides and restaurants for included meals.
Tour Price (Land Content Only) does not include:
Airfare: Australia-Seville, Madrid-Australia Personal spending money Airport-hotel transfers if not travelling on the ASA 'designated' flights Luggage in excess of 20 kg (44 lbs) Travel insurance Visas (if applicable)
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Physical Endurance & Practical Information Physical Ratings
The number of flags is a guide to the degree of difficulty of ASA tours relative to each other (not to those of other tour companies). It is neither absolute nor literal. One flag is given to the least taxing tours, six to the most. Flags are allocated, above all, according to the amount of walking and standing each tour involves. Nevertheless all ASA tours require that participants have a good degree of fitness enabling 2-3 hours walking or 1-1.5 hours standing still on any given site visit or excursion. Many sites are accessed by climbing slopes or steps and have uneven terrain.
This 18-day tour involves:
A moderate amount of walking, often up and down hills (eg. steep inclines in Granada and Ronda) and/or flights of stairs, along cobbled streets and uneven terrain Standing during museum and other site visits Moderate coach travel, often on minor roads Many early-morning departures (between 8.00-8.30am), concluding in the late afternoon (between 5.30-6.30pm) The use of audio headsets which amplify the voice of your guide (despite noisy surroundings). This technology also allows you to move freely during site visits without missing any information.
Other considerations:
4-star hotels with seven hotel changes You must be able to carry your own hand-luggage. Hotel porterage includes 1 piece of luggage per person Evening meals are generally not served until 8-8.30pm.
It is important to remember that ASA programs are group tours, and slow walkers affect everyone in the
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group. As the group must move at the speed of the slowest member, the amount of time spent at a site may be reduced if group members cannot maintain a moderate walking pace. ASA tours should not present any problem for active people who can manage day-to-day walking and stair-climbing. However, if you have any doubts about your ability to manage on a program, please ask your ASA travel consultant whether this is a suitable tour for you.
Please note: it is a condition of travel that all participants agree to accept ASA’s directions in relation to their suitability to participate in activities undertaken on the tour, and that ASA retains the sole discretion to direct a tour participant to refrain from a particular activity on part of the tour. For further information please refer to the ASA Reservation Application Form.
Practical Information
Prior to departure, tour members will receive practical notes which include information on visa requirements, health, photography, weather, clothing and what to pack, custom regulations, bank hours, currency regulations, electrical appliances and food. The Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade website has advice for travellers see: www.smartraveller.gov.au
Booking Conditions Make a Reservation
ASA RESERVATION APPLICATION FORM
Please complete the ASA RESERVATION APPLICATION and send it to Australians Studying Abroad together with your non-refundable deposit of AUD $500.00 per person payable to Australians Studying Abroad.
Passport Details
All participants must provide no later than 75 days prior to the commencement of the program a photocopy of the front page of their current passport.
Double (as single) Supplement
Payment of this supplement will ensure accommodation in a double room for single use throughout the tour. The number of rooms available for single use is extremely limited. People wishing to take this supplement are therefore advised to book well in advance.
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Reservation Application
TOUR NAME TOUR DATES
Please complete one application, per person in block letters and sign. Parental signature is required for participants under 18 years of age. Please mail this form with the appropriate deposit to: P.O. Box 8285, ARMADALE, VICTORIA, 3143. On receipt of this Reservation Application and deposit, ASA will process your booking and if approved, send you a tour confirmation.
Applicant Details (as in passport) TITLE Mr Mrs Ms Miss Dr Other FIRST NAME Preferred FIRST NAME MIDDLE NAME SURNAME POSTAL ADDRESS CITY STATE COUNTRY POSTCODE
TEL. (AH) ( ) TEL. (BH) ( ) Mobile Tel: EMAIL address Date of birth / / GENDER Male Female
Passport Number Expiry date / / Nationality I have enclosed a colour copy of my current valid passport ASA has a colour copy of my current passport
Travel Plans I wish ASA to book my airfare, please contact me to discuss my options. Business Class Economy Class I plan to leave Australia before the tour commences. Planned departure date / / I will be arranging my airfare independently and taking the Land Content Only option.
Frequent Flyer Name of Airline Airline Seat preference Membership # (please note request only)
Tour Accommodation (rooming preferences) I/we would like: a twin-bedded room a double-bedded room a room for sole occupancy I am travelling: on my own with a friend/family member Travel Companion
Meals Please X the box if you CAN NOT eat any of the following: I do not have any specific dietary requests fish poultry red meat dairy products eggs pork nuts Allergies: Refer to the Medical Information Other
Correspondence Your preferred method of correspondence Postal Mail Email Address
Emergency Contact Details Note: this person MUST be available by telephone and be present in Australia for the duration of your tour with ASA Name Relationship to Traveller Address TEL. (AH) ( ) TEL. (BH) ( ) Mobile Tel: EMAIL address
Medical Information
The purpose of seeking this information is to assist ASA to determine, Mobility and Fitness where necessary, whether ASA is able to make reasonable adjustments As many of ASA’s international sites do not provide access to wheelchairs or similar to accommodate your specific needs and whether your health and safety mobility aids, we regret that ASA tours are not suitable for people who require the (or that of your fellow travellers) is likely to be compromised given your use of a walking frame, wheeled walker, wheelchair or motorised scooter. choice of tour. It will also assist you and ASA if you fall ill or have an accident whilst travelling. YES NO 1. Do you suffer from any medical conditions that may compromise • ASA reserves the right to decline your Reservation Application if this your mobility and/or fitness to participate on this program? Medical Information section is not completed properly and may reject If yes, please specify or cancel your reservation, or terminate your participation on any tour, if ASA subsequently learns that you have failed to make full and proper disclosure. If yes, how will you manage this on tour? • ASA is committed to protecting the privacy of your personal information. ASA’s privacy policy is available for viewing at www.asatours.com.au • If ASA has any concerns about the information you have provided, it will contact you to request clarification before considering your Application. Allergies and/or Food Intolerances ASA will make reasonable endeavours to organise meals to suit you, provided • ASA requires you to consider carefully your limitations in light of ASA’s that you give ASA adequate notice of your specific dietary requirements or Physical Endurance Star Rating System in ASA’s Brochure and allergies. You may be required to research dietary alternatives, as not all Itinerary when choosing your tour. destinations may be able to offer suitable food substitutes. • If you are not likely to satisfy ASA’s Participation Criteria (see below), YES NO ASA, in its sole discretion, may reject your Reservation Application. 1. Do you have any food allergies or intolerances? • It is a condition of your tour that you agree to accept the directions If yes, please specify of ASA’s Tour Leaders in relation to your suitability to participate in activities planned on tour. • ASA reserves the right to cancel your participation on a tour if your behaviour is in ASA’s opinion causing undue distress or damage to any person or their property. 2. Have you ever had an anaphylactic reaction to anything? If yes, please specify • If your participation is discontinued during a tour, ASA will assist by arranging your onward travel (if required) at your own cost, but you will not be refunded for forfeited parts of the tour. • ASA tour groups are not accompanied by a medical practitioner. ASA recommends that you see your doctor for advice about Do you carry an epipen? your specific needs while overseas. You may also wish to contact a travel and vaccination clinic for advice. www.traveldoctor.com.au 3. Do you have any other allergies or reactions to anything, tel:1300 658 444; www.travelvax.com.au tel: 1300 360 164. including medical drugs? If yes, please specify • Travel insurers require you to declare all existing medical conditions. • Please carry a complete list of medications with you during the ASA tour. Include generic names of each medication (consult your local pharmacy for information). Existing Medical Conditions You alone are responsible for managing any existing medical conditions, your Please mark X in the YES or NO box to every question below and medication and any medical equipment that you may need when on your tour. provide details where necessary: Please plan for contingencies and take extra medication, dietary supplements and/or fully charged batteries for medical equipment if your health and safety Participation Criteria depends on these. You should take into consideration that power sources at To participate in an ASA tour, you must be reasonably fit, in good some destinations may be unavailable, inadequate, inconvenient or unreliable. health and able to participate in all activities without assistance from YES NO 1. Have you any significant medical conditions that may Tour Leaders or other tour members. If you require assistance, a fit impact your capacity to complete this tour? and able travel companion must undertake to accompany and assist If yes, please specify you with all tasks for the duration of the whole tour. The responsibility of the Tour Leader is to ensure that the larger group enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to If yes, how will you manage this on tour? provide ongoing individual assistance to any one guest. YES NO 1. Can you walk and stand unassisted for at least 2-3 hours 2. Do you require some form of powered medical aid, a day in hot, humid conditions? such as a CPAP machine? 2. Can you walk unassisted on and over uneven surfaces? These machines may not be operable on certain international flights, modes of transport, in remote or other areas with inadequate or unreliable power 3. Can you climb at least 3 flights of stairs and/or walk up and sources without a fully charged independent long life battery or batteries. do wn steep slopes unassisted? 4. Can you walk at a steady pace and no less than 1km every Diabetics: You may be travelling and sightseeing for many hours at a time. 15 - 20 minutes unassisted? Insulin dependent diabetics must carry extra supplies of insulin (as this medication cannot be obtained in some destinations), regulators, 5. Can you organise, manage and carry your own luggage? applicators, storage and refrigeration equipment, as well as any necessary supplements. Accommodation may not provide refrigerators in rooms. 6. Can you follow and remember tour instructions and meet punctually at designated times and places? 3. Are you diabetic?
7. Can you administer your own medication? Are you insulin dependent?
8. Do you have impaired vision or hearing which may impact 4. Do you suffer from travel sickness? your capacity to participate on this tour? Remember to use an appropriate medication while on tour.
Declaration, Liability and Booking Conditions
Declaration I declare that: I have read and understood the ASA Tour Itinerary, Reservation Application and Booking Conditions. I am aware of ASA’s terms as relating to refunds, cancellations, responsibility and liability. I understand that ASA relies upon this declaration when considering this Application. I accept that there are inherent dangers and risks that may occur during any tour. I have made full and complete disclosure and have not knowingly withheld any medical information about myself from ASA. I have completed this Reservation Application honestly and accurately. I warrant that l am able to participate independently in all activities described by ASA in the itinerary without assistance from any person. I will advise ASA in writing if any aspect of my fitness and or health conditions change materially at any time before my departure date. I understand and accept that the itinerary, accommodation and lecturers scheduled for this tour may change. I agree and consent that ASA may give my personal information in this Reservation Application to tour service providers and relevant authorities as required by law, but for the purpose of making bookings with and engaging services provided for the tour. I understand that if l do not consent to the use of my personal information for this purpose, ASA will decline my Reservation Application. In consideration of ASA’s acceptance of my Reservation Application, I irrevocably release and indemnify ASA from all claims that I, or any other party, may have against ASA its employees, invitees, agents and contractors, however arising in respect of any loss, damage, injury, death or expense incurred in the course of travelling to, on and from any tour. I understand and acknowledge that this Release and Indemnity applies with respect to: 1. Every general risk to which I or my personal belongings may be exposed in the course of travelling to, on or from any ASA tour 2. Every special risk, in particular medical risks, to which I may be exposed in the course of travelling to, on or from any ASA tour arising from, including, but not limited to: a. intermittent power cycles and/or the temporary or permanent loss of power (beware CPAP or any other medical machine users); b. dietary, food or other allergies (ASA cannot guarantee that traces of items to which you are allergic are not present in food or drink you are served, medication you are administered or other substances with which you may come into contact); c. any event or situation that may compromise the administration of necessary medication or my health, safety and wellbeing generally. 3. All claims arising as a result of my or ASA’s cancellation or termination of my continued participation on a tour for whatever reason (refund conditions in ASA’s Booking Conditions excepted). Limitation of Liability ASA is not a carrier, event or tourist attraction host, accommodation or dining service provider. All bookings made and tickets or coupons issued by ASA for transport, event, accommodation, dining and the like are issued as an agent for various service providers and are subject to the terms and conditions and limitations of liability imposed by each service provider. ASA is not responsible for their products or services. If a service provider does not deliver the product or service for which you have contracted, your remedy lies with the service provider, not ASA. ASA will not be liable for any claim (eg. sickness, injury, death, damage or loss) arising from any change, delay, detention, breakdown, cancellation, failure, accident, act, omission or negligence of any such service provider however caused (contingencies). You must take out adequate travel insurance against such contingencies. ASA’s liability in respect of any tour will be limited to the refund of amounts received from you less all non-refundable costs and charges and the costs of any substituted event or alternate services provided. The terms and conditions of the relevant service provider from time to time comprise the sole agreement between you and that service provider. ASA reserves the sole discretion to cancel any tour or to modify itineraries in any way it considers appropriate. Tour costs may be revised, subject to unexpected price increases or exchange rate fluctuations. Booking Conditions DEPOSITS UNUSED PORTIONS OF THE TOUR A deposit of $500.00 AUD per person is required to reserve a We regret that refunds will not be given for any unused portions of the tour, such as place on an ASA tour. meals, entry fees, accommodation, flights or transfers.
CANCELLATION FEES WILL THE TOUR PRICE OR ITINERARY CHANGE? If you decide to cancel your booking the following charges apply: If the number of participants on a tour is significantly less than budgeted, or if there is a significant change in exchange rates ASA reserves the right to amend the advertised price. More than 75 days before departure: $500* We shall, however, do all in our power to maintain the published price. If an ASA tour is 75-46 days prior 25% of total amount due forced to cancel you will get a full refund of all tour monies paid. Occasionally 45-31 days prior 50% of total amount due circumstances beyond the control of ASA make it necessary to change airline, hotel or to make amendments to daily itineraries. We will inform you of any changes in due course. 30-15 days prior 75% of total amount due 14-0 days prior 100% of total amount due TRAVEL INSURANCE *This amount may be credited to another ASA tour departing ASA requires all participants to obtain comprehensive travel insurance. A copy of your within 12 months of the original tour you booked. We regret, travel insurance certificate and the reverse charge emergency contact phone number in this case early-bird discounts will not apply. must be received by ASA no later than 75 days prior to the commencement of the tour. We take the day on which you cancel as being that on which FINAL PAYMENT we receive written confirmation of cancellation. The balance of the tour price will be due 75 days prior to the tour commencement date.
PLEASE READ THE ABOVE CAREFULLY, PRINT AND SIGN BELOW
I accept the conditions on this booking form I have read the information about the physical requirements of the tour in the detailed itinerary and confirm that I am able to meet these requirements
Applicant’s Signature
Print Full Name Dated
Deposit Payment
Tour / Course Name
I have enclosed a non refundable deposit of $ (including CC or bank fee if applicable) for this tour
By Cheque Credit Card Payment Please make cheques payable to Australians Studying Abroad Credit card fees apply: Mastercard, American Express & Visa 1.95% Please debit my: Mastercard American Express Visa Direct Deposit or Internet Banking You will need to: I authorise ASA to debit my credit card for the amount due plus 1. Provide your bank with ASA’s bank details (see below) and the applicable fee as above the amount you wish to transfer OR make a direct deposit Credit Card Number through any ANZ branch 2. Include any fees levied by the banks Expiry Date Security Code (CVC) 3. Provide a reference number (Mobile or last name recommended). Bank the Card is linked to (eg. NAB or ANZ) 4. Complete section below, including confirmation no. (given when transaction completed). Cardholders Name
Australians Studying Abroad bank details Cardholders Billing Address Bank ANZ Branch 420 St Kilda Road, Melbourne Vic Swift Code ANZBAU3M State Postcode BSB 013-423 Country Account No 3472-32759 Phone Bank confirmation No. Email Reference used: Mobile or last name recommended Cardholders Signature
Date Money Transferred
AUSTRALIANS STUDYING ABROAD Office 6, Level 1, 1087-1095 High St (PO Box 8285) Armadale VIC Australia 3143 www.asatours.com.au Phone +61 3 9822 6899 Freecall 1800 645 755 (outside metro Melbourne area only) Email [email protected] License No. 31248 ABN 27 006 589 242
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